Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2451 in Health and Beauty
• Brand: Philips Sonicare
• Model: HX7990/02
• Released on: 2007-09-16
• Dimensions: 6.00" h x 4.00" w x 3.00" l, 4.00 pounds

Features

• Specially engineered Philips UV sanitizing technology helps kill bacteria on brush heads
• A simple push of the button safeguards against bacteria
• Turns off after 10-minute UV cycle is complete
• Works with Sonicare e-series, Sonicare ProResults, Oral-B Flexisoft, and Oral-B Floss Action brush heads
• Also offers a storing solution for your brush heads

Amazon.com Product Description

UV technology effectively cleans your brush heads. View larger.

Philips Sonicare introduces a breakthrough innovation with a UV Sanitizer that helps kill up to 99 percent of bacteria* on your toothbrush. With a simple push of a button, UV Clean technology sanitizes your brush head to clean right down to the bristles.

The Sonicare UV Sanitizer not only cleans but also offers a storing solution to help ensure you are maximizing your oral hygiene regimen. Once activated, your toothbrush goes through a 10 minute cycle to kill up to 99 percent of bacteria off your brush head.

The unit fits Sonicare e-series and ProResults brush heads as well as other leading rechargeable brands including Oral B Flexisoft** and Floss Action***. The UV Sanitizer holds up two brush heads at a time. Remember to continue to replace your brush head at least every 3 months to ensure optimal results.

Philips Sonicare is the number one brand used and recommended by U.S. dental professionals. Recognized as a leader in oral health care since 1992, Philips Sonicare products are backed by more than 140 publications representing clinical and laboratory studies conducted at more than 40 universities and research institutes worldwide.

Sanitizes	Simple	Worry-free

UV Sanitizer Features
	UV Clean Technology Specially engineered Philips UV sanitizing technology helps kill bacteria on brush heads
	All Around Clean The reflector distributes sanitizing light around entire top of brush heads for optimal results
	One Touch Simple push of the button safeguards against bacteria
	Auto shut-off Turns off after 10-minute UV cycle is complete
	Storage Hygienic storage for your brush head

Fits These Brush Head Brands

• Sonicare e-series
• Sonicare ProResults
• Oral-B Flexisoft
• Oral-B Floss Action

What's in the Box
Sonicare UV Sanitizer, one set of brush head attachments for Sonicare brush heads, and one set of brush head attachments for Oral-B Brush heads (note that brush heads are not included).

*Kills up to 99 percent of E. Coli and Streptococcus Mutans
**FlexiSoft is a registered trademark of Braun Aktiengesellshaft Joint Stock Company, Germany.
***FlossAction and Oral-B are registered trademarks of Gillette Canada Company dba.

Customer Reviews

A biologist's opinion
I have a biology background and the good news is that this amount of UV light is going to have the desired effect on the bacteria that live in your toothbrush head. It will induce many double strand breaks in the bacterial DNA, making it hard or impossible for them to grow. It will have no lasting harmful effects on the brush because no chemicals/toxins are used. My understanding is that there is a shut-off to prevent humans from being exposed to the UV light, which is a good thing as UV light will interfere with human DNA in the same way that it damages bacterial DNA. However, I would like to point out a few things:

1, The detergent in your toothpaste (variously called sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, etc) will probably be effective enough at getting rid of bacteria -- that's why we use it.

2, The bacteria are already in your mouth anyway! How do you think your toothbrush head is getting contaminated in the first place?

3, People have survived very happily without wasting money on idiotic gadgets like this.

4, The bacteria that are NOT killed by this treatment are more likely to be mutated. It's a biological fact that UV light increases the number of DNA mutations. While most bacteria will be killed, the 0.01% that survive are more likely to have suffered mutations. This is not true for cell-disruptive methods of destruction like bleach and detergent (including the detergent in your toothpaste).

To summarize, dentists use this sort of gizmo because they're putting the same tools into the mouths of many different people. They don't want to get sued, especially in light of reports suggesting that certain diseases may be passed through saliva. However, this gizmo is completely unnecessary if you do not share your brushheads with other people. In fact, it's not even necessary if you share your brushheads with people you wouldn't mind kissing...

Lastly, please bear in mind that not all bacteria are bad and that you actually need some to help you digest food properly. Also, good bacteria take up space and resources to keep bad bacteria from finding a niche. So, try NOT to use 'antibacterial' soap, do eat some live active yogurt after a course of antibiotics and always completely finish a course of antibiotics that you've been prescribed by a doctor.

An Unnecessary Gadget
Philips Sonicare sounds like a great idea - keeping your toothbrush free from germs on a daily basis. However, this can be done by simply dipping your toothbrush in a solution of hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol (however, rubbing alcohol does not taste good). In addition, this product only works with Sonicare and Oral-B brushes. Regular toothbrushes and other product names don't work with this machine. It's a clean looking machine, but for the money and the space on your bathroom counter, I'd don't think this is much more than a cool gadget. Besides, what do you do when the bulb burns out?

Lightweight, easy to use, multi-brand friendly
The Sonicare UV Sanitizer uses a small but strong light bulb inside a chrome-painted plastic housing to kill electric toothbrush bacteria on a daily basis. All one needs to do is shake the water from the brush head, insert it into the capsule, close the door, and push a button. Ten minutes later, when the small green light stops blinking, the brush head is free of at least 90% of bacteria. (Don't think about the other ten percent!) Does it work? Since I'm not a microbiologist, I can't say for sure, but all the warnings that come with the box suggest that the light is powerful enough to do the necessary damage.

The Sanitizer comes with adaptors that accommodate brush heads of multiple brands of electric toothbrushes: Sonicare, Oral B, and Braun. Not only do the adaptors address difference in bottom connectors (round or rectangular), but they also adjust for differences in height to keep the bristles at the right level. Users can insert the larger Sonicare brush assembly or a much smaller Oral B brush or both at the same time. (See product picture for illustration.) Since I use an electric toothbrush only once a day and use a traditional brush at other times, I wish that the housing could fit regular brushes as well. That feature might make this product nearly perfect.

Unfortunately, the unit sterilizes only the brush heads and not the entire brush. This means that the interior needs to be cleaned at least once a week, if not more often, because of the saliva-and-water mix that drains from inside the brush and down its sides. The bottom tray and adaptors snap out fairly easily for cleaning; however, it would be nice if the entire interior compartment emerged germ-free.

Although the sanitizer comes with strict warnings about not touching the bulb, making it not appropriate for use in the bathrooms of young children, it does have the safety feature of shutting off if the door is opened during operation. The canceled operation won't cool the bulb, but it will stop the UV radiation. The plastic bulb housing seems to protect the bulb adequately from all but the tiniest fingers. (I'm not even sure toddler fingers could get in, although kids have been known to defeat a host of safety devices.)

The unit is lightweight and compact enough to pack on a trip for those who travel with their electric toothbrushes and who don't like the idea of invisible germs lurking in their bristles, even for a few days. All you'll need is a standard outlet and a small flat surface to set it up.

I like the Sonicare UV Santizer for its easy of use. Maybe it's giving me a false sense of security since I can't tell whether it works or not, but ignorance can indeed be bliss.